HTC is known for two things: sleek phones and stupid model names. Its new One M8s (just try to say that name aloud once, let alone remember it) comes after it launched its flagship One M9 (see review on Independent.ie). To the untrained eye, both five-inch handsets look almost exactly the same. But the One M8s is considerably cheaper due to some lower specifications. For example, it has a 13-megapixel camera instead of a 20-megapixel one.

It also has a slightly fatter (0.2mm) form factor. And its software is a little older than the M9. On the other hand, it has a nice big 2,840mAh battery - the same as the One M9. This means you should get a reliable day of usage out of it. The One M8s retains that nice metal unibody design that all high-end HTCs have sported over the last two years, so you won't be embarrassed to leave it out on the pub table. For all but those who want the very latest and greatest, this should be an attractive handset at a saving of around €250 on the flagship model.